And Step Into The Liminal Space

In a year of significant astrological change paired with technological advances that our nervous system can’t keep pace with I find myself left in a vortex of intense reflection.

When in my clinical space, my clients share my sentiments — “Who am I?” “Where am I going?” (or worse, what is happening in the world?”).

As a practitioner, I immediately want to clarify and measure the status of my client’s nervous system. Are they heightened and stuck in a survival reactive pattern of behaviour, or are they in a stage of growth?

When asking my clients their normal check-in question, “So how are you today?” I find myself this year especially faced with their common response of “I don’t know”.

Cue my slow, deep breath to remain present and grounded.

I dig a little deeper, asking questions about how my client feels in their body. How well does their body move? We talk about the quality of their sleep.

This year, and often,there is a resounding disconnected sighing response, “I just don’t know”. This statement is often paired with distress of not knowing.

Welcome to the liminal space — of all or nothing.

The liminal space is clinically defined as a transitional psychological and emotional state between what was and what has not yet arrived. It is filled with infinite possibilities that have not yet been realised.

The spiritual definition of liminal space goes deeper than the science of psychology. Liminal space can be explains as a sacred threshold of transformation. It is a metaphysical vibrational space, where your old self has been released, but your new self has not yet fully arrived.

Liminal space is the in-between void of the unknown and unexplored. Your old identity has started to dissolve. You are changing, but your new identity has not fully formed. You aren’t broken, but certainty is presently absent. What is meaningful is still emerging in its definition of importance.

Some postulate that a person transitions within their liminal space. I believe the liminal is much more than moving from one aspect of self to another. I feel the liminal space is an initiation into the next phase of your life. It is often linked with life transitions such as motherhood or menopause.

From a clinical perspective, incorporating the science of psychology and trauma-informed frameworks, the liminal space is often experienced as:

• confusion or disorientation
• emotional sensitivity or instability
• heightened intuition or inner questioning
• a sense of “not fitting” your old life anymore

From a societal perspective, it could be reasonable to explain that humans have entered a liminal space — we are all feeling ‘weird’ about the world. We all have big feelings about food and fuel security, about war, and unfortunately, we have big feelings and stress-based sensations about the current state of politics. We can’t escape it.

From an individual and spiritual perspective the liminal space is defined as something much more sacred. Again there is a reference of an ‘in-between state’ where your previous identity, beliefs have begun to dissolve — and there’s no returning to the beginning or reset.

The liminal space, or in-between is an invitation into a deeper alignment with your heart (instead of your head), your soul or your higher truth. There’s power to be embraced when you allow the sensations associated with the unseen to take shape. You have to be able to trust in yourself and something unknown to allow the evolution of something that has not yet become visible.

In spiritual traditions and even some religions, this liminal space is often described as a portal between who you were and who you are becoming.

I identify with my clients within the liminal space, for I have arrived in destination unknown as well. The deep reflection and often contemplative moments that I experience often incorporate the following:

• Ego softening — old roles, labels, and identities no longer feel true
• Heightened intuition — inner guidance becomes stronger, even if unclear
• Energetic recalibration — what once felt right now feels misaligned, my inner compass has been recalibrated, as have the signals when I’m not on track
• Surrender invitations — releasing control gives way to trusting in myself

When you first enter the liminal zone, you can readily experience disorientation. I consider this is because you feel out of control, and this activates your survival instinct to activate

Do yourself a favour, and remind yourself that your external life hasn’t caught up with your internal transformation. This reminder will soothe the discomfort that the liminal brings you, because your evolution is being asked to release certainty, let go of control, and trust what you cannot yet see.

No pressure, right?

The subsequent internal tension you experience is between your mind (which wants answers) and the soul (which is moving through different timing processes, rather than logic).

So now that we know what the liminal space is, why do we have to visit it?

As someone who has had a cancer experience, I’m excited to have arrived at menopause and the second phase of life. Therefore, I have embraced the liminal with both arms.

Rather than being a place to “get through,” the liminal is a space where you work on yourself to realign your younger and outdated self, with the authentic path of your life. The liminal space allows you to dissolve identities that were built from conditioning or survival, and deepen your trust in the signals of your intuition, your raised vibrational energy, and inner knowing.

Therefore, the liminal space prepares you for a more aligned way of living and being. It’s mighty powerful stuff.

If this resonates for you keep reading!

It’s not physical but vibrational.

What Are Signs You’re in a Spiritual Liminal Space?

Leaving behind the first phase of life is significant. Combine being in the liminal space with what is happening externally and on a global scale, leaves anyone in a place of huge uncertainty.

What distinguishes the signs that you’re in a liminal space could include:

• You feel disconnected from your old life, but not anchored in a new one, therefore you feel like you’re ‘no where’ right now
• You’re questioning everything — your purpose, identity, forward direction
• Things may be falling away without clear reason
• You feel called inward rather than outward
• There’s a quiet sense that something is shifting, even if you can’t name it

You may find yourself using different language, especially within your relationships. You might recognise these changes as moments when:

• “I can’t go back, but I don’t know how to move forward”
• interpersonal relationships, employment, or your identity no longer feels aligned
• your life feels paused, uncertain, or suspended
• you feel emotionally raw, reflective, or ungrounded and none of your usual techniques are working

Please let me reassure you. This is not failure. This is your physical, mental and emotional transition in progress.

Even your nervous system will evolve, and the changes can activate:

• freeze response (shutdown, stuckness, numbness)
• fawn response (people-pleasing to regain stability)
• hypervigilance (overthinking the future)

Your nervous system and brain prefer certainty over transformation — even if the old life is uncomfortable.

Conclusion